


Coming in from the Cold: Saturday: Revisiting the Past

by Ysabetwordsmith



Series: Love Is For Children [42]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: #coulsonlives, Age Play, Avengers Family, Bugs & Insects, Cold, Flashbacks, Friendship, Games, Gen, Herbalism, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Intimacy, Major Character Injury, Missions, Missions Gone Wrong, No Sex, Non-Sexual Age Play, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Team as Family, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:55:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22407580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ysabetwordsmith/pseuds/Ysabetwordsmith
Summary: After the mission to shut down drugrunners in Brazil, the Avengers recover in the Tower.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) & Avengers Team, Phil Coulson & Avengers Team
Series: Love Is For Children [42]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/42722
Comments: 360
Kudos: 291
Collections: Fandom Snowflake Challenge





	1. Definitely an Improvement

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for [Challenge 13: Create a Fanwork](https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org/48823.html) in the [2020 Snowflake Challenge](https://snowflake-challenge.dreamwidth.org).
> 
> A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.
> 
> I also have a list of [favorite photogenic scenes](https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/9313791.html) from the whole series for fanartists to consider, partly compiled from audience requests.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the bug hunt is hard on the Avengers.

On Saturday morning, Phil ate a quick breakfast in his apartment. He checked his inbox and found it stuffed with reports about yesterday's mission. JARVIS had been right. None of it was urgent, just persistent.

Then Phil went to check on Clint and Natasha. The door opened easily under his hand, but there was no sign of them. This was not unusual. Their apartment was two stories, connected by a maze of open spaces, catwalks, floating stairs, cargo nets, fire poles, and other structures that turned it into a three-dimensional habitat.

Phil eventually found Clint and Natasha sprawled in a loft hammock under a huge viewscreen set to display a blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. As Phil climbed the stairs, a hawk sailed over the "skylight" with a long _kee-eeeee-arr_. It made him smile. Clint lay with his arms under his head, while Natasha had tucked her feet under herself.

"How are you doing?" Phil asked as he sank onto a floor cushion beside the loft hammock.

"Quite well, thank you," Natasha said. "Bruce's assistance last night made a notable difference with the bath and the oatmeal powder."

"That's good to hear," Phil said. "Clint, how about you?"

"Enh," Clint said. "Better than I expected. Last time anything like this happened, I wound up in SHIELD medical. Now I just feel moderately crummy."

"That's definitely an improvement," Phil agreed. Several of the SHIELD agents who had gone to the infirmary were still there, although the ones who had availed themselves of Bruce's recipe for the oatmeal bath had recovered enough to leave. So now they had a larger sample size and more data. That was always useful.

"Yeah, Bruce is on his way up to see me now," Clint said. "How are the morning-after reports from SHIELD?"

"Well, the other agents didn't benefit from such excellent personal care, so some of them are still in the infirmary," Phil said. "However, there were no fatalities on our side. FitzSimmons and Dr. Ross are currently arguing over the best way to exterminate the remaining vermin."

"Kill 'em with fire," Clint drawled.

"I do not think the Brazilian government would appreciate us bombing their jungle," Natasha pointed out, then looked at Phil. "Do we care?"

Phil tilted a hand. "We would rather not antagonize the Brazilian government at this time. They are still less than pleased about some SHIELD ventures in the past, not to mention the unauthorized escapades of General Ross," he said. "If we can't contain the vermin in a more discreet manner, however, their disposal is more important than Brazil's hurt feelings."

"Dr. Banner has reached this floor," JARVIS said. "Shall I open the door for him?"

"Fuck yeah, I'm not getting up," Clint said.

"Hello?" Bruce called.

"We are in the loft hammock," Natasha replied. She and Bruce tried not to surprise each other.

Bruce climbed the stairs and sat on the floor near Natasha. "How are you feeling today?"

"I have recovered," Natasha said. "The bites healed overnight. Thank you very much for the bath powder, and thank Betty for loaning me her tub.

"You're welcome. If you want to thank Betty, she likes some fancier bath supplies -- you could always get her a gift basket," Bruce said. "Mind if I run a health check?"

"Go ahead," Natasha said. "I will ask JARVIS to help me shop for Betty."

Her Starkpad chimed for attention. Natasha picked it up and promptly forgot about Bruce checking her health.

After Bruce finished with Natasha, he said. "Yes, you're in good shape. Clint, what about you?"

"Over here," Clint said. "I'm a little sore and tired, but not itching. That's amazing."

Without hesitation, Bruce ambled out onto the narrow beam that supported one side of the loft hammock. Then he crouched down near Clint. "Let me look you over, and I'll see if there's anything more I can do."

"Yeah, okay," Clint said. Phil noticed that Clint was a lot more agreeable with Bruce than with SHIELD personnel.

"I can still see the bites, but they aren't swollen anymore," Bruce said. "The only ones that look bad at all are the ones you scratched open, and even most of those are starting to heal. Any other complaints?"

Clint grimaced. "I kinda feel like I got punched in the kidneys."

"But you weren't, right?" Bruce said, and Clint nodded. "Okay, roll away from me, up on your side." As soon as Clint obeyed, Bruce tugged his shirt up. "No sign of bruising." Bruce prodded Clint's back. Clint grumbled a protest. "It's probably just tenderness from processing all the toxins. Any time you overwork your kidneys and liver, they can complain about it."

"Oh, like a hangover," Clint said. "Yeah, that's familiar."

"Do you feel like giving me a blood sample just to make sure?" Bruce said.

"Sure," Clint said. He flopped an arm in Bruce's general direction.

Bruce pressed a small device against Clint's wrist. A light flashed yellow, then green. It chirped. Bruce tucked it back into his kit, then put a purple bandaid over Clint's wrist. "All done."

"What, no sucker?" Clint said.

Bruce flicked something small into the air, making Clint scramble to snatch it before it fell through the net. "And your reflexes are in working order, so I'm not really worried."

Phil smiled. Bruce had a more mischievous sense of humor than most people realized. 

Clint stuck his tongue out at Bruce. Then he said, "Listen, I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. I know you were just trying to help, and it did help, but when I feel like crap I get grouchy."

"Most people do," Bruce murmured. "Apology accepted."

"Well done," Phil said. Satisfied that Clint and Natasha were all right, Phil ambled out of their apartment and went to check on the rest of his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clint and Natasha have a [loft hammock](http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/af/8f/38/af8f38edc91894426e73d63451cdcd9f.jpg) in their apartment. Rather than hanging from ropes, the net attaches to the walls of the loft and serves as its floor.
> 
> Read about [red-tailed hawks](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk) and [listen to their sounds](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/sounds).
> 
> Overconsumption of alcohol, or other toxins, [can cause kidney pain](https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-pain-alcohol).


	2. Into the Yellow Range

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the bug hunt, Steve is not doing well.

Tony was in his workshop again. His status showed that he had napped for several hours and was now working on some sort of gadget intended to zap the evil insects. Phil was all on board with this plan and logged his approval without bothering Tony. Let the man work, maybe he'd come up with something better than the other plans.

Bucky and Steve were in their apartment. When Phil knocked, however, Bucky came to the door in a bathrobe. "It hasn't been a great night," Bucky whispered. "Steve is sleeping. I don't want to wake him unless it's an emergency."

"It's not an emergency," Phil said. "Let him sleep. I just wanted to check on him. I can come back later."

So then Phil went to his office and checked the aftermath of the mission. Rubbing a hand over his head, he informed FitzSimmons that carpet-bombing part of Brazil was _not_ Plan A. Flooding the area with insecticides was only marginally better as Plan B. He admired Betty's efforts at miniaturizing a gamma beam generator and advised her to network with Tony.   
Finally, Phil sent a memo to everyone working on a solution to the abominable bugs. "Make sure you test everything on the captured specimens to prove that it kills them. Then test on neighboring species. We will select the option that has an effective kill rate on the target with the least amount of collateral damage."

Phil fielded an annoyed message from Director Fury, who wanted to know why the Avengers hadn't reported today for further debriefing. The reply included multiple attachments detailing various team members' health and a copy of their standard Saturday schedule. Phil had no trouble sending it ... but he suspected the data packets would jam Fury's inbox.  
"Serves him right if it does," Phil muttered, pushing away from his desk. Better to take a break now than to keep going until he lost his temper altogether. He needed to set a good example for his team.

Checking his watch, Phil realized that he had time to make lunch for everyone if he started soon. Cooking was a relaxing task. Phil headed to the common floor.

When he got there, though, it was already occupied.

Steve lay on the couch, curled around and over several pillows. He didn't respond when Phil walked into the room. _He doesn't look too good,_ Phil thought with a frown. "Steve, how are you feeling?" he asked aloud.

"I'll heal," Steve said. "I'm just sore." One of the enemy combatants had tried to chop off Captain's America's right leg with a machete. The blade had failed to cut through super-dense bone, but it left behind a series of deep, parallel gashes across the calf.

"You're sweating and pale," Phil observed. He sat down next to Steve, touching a hand to the larger man's forehead. "You don't feel any warmer than usual, though."

"Just cramps," Steve said, grimacing as his leg twitched. "They'll go away. They always do."

"In the meantime, you're miserable. That's not acceptable, Steve," said Phil. "JARVIS, call Dr. Banner up here, please."  
"Dr. Banner is already on his way," JARVIS said. "I called him a minute ago when the last spasm sent Steve's readings into the yellow range."

"Good catch, JARVIS," said Phil, reaching out to stroke Steve's hair. "Steve, remember that you have access to medical care whenever you need it."

"Sorry," Steve said. "I was fine until a little while ago, and then I just ... forgot."

_I wonder if he got lost in the memories of being injured or ill and having no resources,_ Phil mused.

Dr. Banner arrived then. Steve was curled up so tightly that there was room to sit at the far end of the couch. "JARVIS says that your leg is bothering you. Mind if I check it?" asked Dr. Banner.

"Go ahead," Steve said. He tugged on the loose cotton pants that he wore, baring his calf. The gashes had turned into long dark scabs surrounded by purple and pink skin. As Phil watched, the skin shivered and twitched, different sections moving in different rhythms. Steve gritted his teeth.

"I need to touch. This may get uncomfortable," Dr. Banner warned, lowering his hands to Steve's leg. Gentle fingers pressed and probed, following the lines of injury and the shape of the underlying muscles.

Steve yelped and flinched away. "Sorry," he muttered as he moved back within reach.

"It's okay," Dr. Banner said. "Has this happened before? I don't remember seeing it."

"Yeah, it's happened before, but not a lot," Steve said. "It tends to come from having several wounds close together like this, where it crosses the muscles." He held his fingers over the lines and traced across the width of his calf. "It doesn't usually break bone, though. I should be fine, really. It just hurts like crazy for a while."

Dr. Banner looked at him over the rim of his glasses. "Doesn't _usually_ break bone?" 

"That only happened a few times," Steve said earnestly.

Phil shivered as he realized that Steve's enhanced muscles were powerful enough to tear his own body apart under the wrong circumstances. "We need to make sure that doesn't happen again," he said.

"Yes, of course," said Dr. Banner. "Steve, you have a wonderful body, but it has some special requirements that you need to respect. I know it didn't come with an instruction manual ..." 

The look of pain that crossed Steve's face was pure memory, nothing to do with the current cramps. Dr. Erskine, the man who gave him the enhancement, had been assassinated moments after Steve emerged from the chamber. There had been no time for them to assess the results together. That cruel loss had undercut Steve's understanding of his new body and its needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pesticides are toxic and [most do a lot of collateral damage](https://ifnaturecouldtalk.com/pesticide-use-consider-the-collateral-damage).
> 
> Muscle cramps can occur [after an injury](https://www.emedicinehealth.com/muscle_cramps/article_em.htm#what_causes_muscle_cramps). In the case of enhanced healing, the speed of repair can exceed the body's ability to adapt, causing severe spasms. [It is possible for muscles to break adjacent bones](https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-for-your-muscles-to-crush-your-bones) even in ordinary humans; for people with certain superpowers, the risk is much higher.


	3. Healing Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Banner figures out what's wrong with Steve.

"So we're just going to have to work out those parameters now," Dr. Banner continued. He prodded carefully at the injured calf, sliding skin over muscle to see how it bunched and pulled at the healing scars. "I can help, but I need you to tell me what's going on with you. Feel inside yourself. Think about previous cases of this. What's it like? What do you think might be happening?" 

Steve yipped again, but didn't pull away this time. "It's like, I don't know, twitchy inside. It won't stay still," he said. "At least the skin isn't sticking to the stuff underneath, though. I hate it when that happens. It can take days to tear free again."

Dr. Banner pinched the bridge of his nose. "Steve, 'rip it loose' is _not_ a recommended treatment for adhesions."

"I didn't even know that had a name," Steve said.

"All right, we can discuss that one later," Dr. Banner said. "Tell me more about the current problem."

"I think it's healing wrong," Steve said. "We were in the middle of a fight, so I couldn't just stop to get it patched back together. By the time Black Widow got to the first aid kit, some of the cut edges were already sticking together. That new gel sure plugged up the leaks, though." His leg twitched in Dr. Banner's grasp. "Sometimes stuff doesn't seal up quite right. Then it hurts until it grows out the way it should." 

"Does this only happen with multiple injuries?" Dr. Banner asked.

"Single injuries usually heal fine; it's the combination that makes it worse," Steve said. "This one time, I was climbing a tank to shove a grenade down the gun, and the turret ran over my left hand and crushed it. There was no way to set the bones; they were _splinters_. That took weeks to heal. We're weren't even sure it would, but it did." He flexed his fingers.

"Complex wounds," Dr. Banner murmured. He watched the quivering skin, his delicate hands mapping out knots in the muscles underneath. "Okay, here's what I think is going on. Several cuts close together chop apart your muscles and nerves. If those splice back together wrong, the signals don't line up. An ordinary person would just lose function from that. But your body fights to repair itself -- _forces_ the fibers to reconnect until they get it right." Dr. Banner used his thumbs to trace in opposite directions. "See how these sections are contracting at different times? They should be in line, part of the same muscle, but right now they're not."

"Huh," Steve said. "Dum Dum just said it looked like I was possessed."

"I'm guessing this Dum Dum wasn't a real medic," Dr. Banner said dryly.

"Uh, no," Steve said. "We just made do with first aid training and whatever supplies we could scrounge. And a lot of booze, for the guys who could get some good out of it." 

Phil winced at that. _Poor Steve, he couldn't even resort to the poor man's anaesthetic_.

"Well, you're not possessed, you're just healing too fast for your body to keep up with itself," Dr. Banner said. "Look here, the skin heals faster than the muscles, aggravating the situation even further. You're also burning through your body's resources for building tissues, things like protein and potassium; run out of anything and you'll hurt for it."

"Think I figured out that part already," Steve said through his teeth. "So what do you want to do to me?"

"I want to give you some options," Dr. Banner said. "We could try the next muscle relaxant on the list --"

Steve looked away. "Um, I'm not _that_ desperate," he said. 

They had tried several previously, once when Steve wrenched his back tackling the monster of the week, and a couple of times when mutants had tied his body in knots. So far the milder drugs hadn't helped at all, the stronger ones required so high a dose that it made him sick, or some combination of both.

"Okay," said Dr. Banner, spreading his hands in a soothing gesture. Steve was one of the few Avengers who _appreciated_ medical care, and they wanted to keep it that way. He just didn't always think to ask for it because he was used to not having it -- or not having it work. Getting Steve used to Bruce's higher skill level was taking time.

"I don't mean to be trouble, it's just the cramps are making me grouchy," Steve said.

"You said options, plural," Phil prompted.

"Yes, of course," said Dr. Banner. "One thing I have on hand already is some oil for treating abused skin. I made it for myself to use after transformations. Ideally I'd want to customize it for Steve's needs, but what I have now should soothe the skin as it heals. That'll help quiet the conflict between skin and muscle. Want me to go get it?"

"Yes, please," Steve said.

"Okay. I'll be right back," said Dr. Banner.

Phil stayed with Steve while they waited. "Anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable in the meantime?" Phil asked.

"You didn't have to stop petting me," Steve said softly. He shifted position so that his head and shoulders were almost in Phil's lap. "Bucky used to do that when I got sick."

Phil smiled and ran his fingers through Steve's hair again. "I was just trying to avoid distracting the two of you." 

"Mmm," Steve said. Then he whined as his leg spasmed again.

_It's a good thing that Machete Man fell on his damn knife during that fight,_ Phil thought. _Otherwise I'd be tempted to use it on him. Slowly_.

Dr. Banner came back with an unlabeled green bottle in one hand and a towel slung over his shoulder. "Okay, this should help. I'll be as careful as I can," he said. He rolled up Steve's pant leg with expert motions, then spread the towel underneath. "Sorry about the consistency. It's pretty tacky since I had to take out the coconut oil." Indeed, the oil looked almost like honey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Adhesions](https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/adhesion-general-post-surgery) occur after injury when a rapid healing response conjoins things that are not meant to stick together. This tendency greatly increases in people with superpowered healing. [Various treatments exist](https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/adhesions), of which [massage and other physiotherapy](https://www.barralinstitute.com/docs/research/visceralmobilizationmassageforpostoperativeadhesionsandileus.pdf) to restore mobility are among the safest and most effective. Bucky and the other Howling Commandos already figured out that "keep the pieces moving until we can get Steve to a medic" is an important part of super first aid. If not treated, adhesions can tear loose under vigorous stress, which is unpleasant and sometimes dangerous.
> 
> [Recovery from injury](https://www.summitortho.com/2014/08/26/step-step-plan-injury-recovery/) benefits from a [supportive diet](https://www.nata.org/sites/default/files/nutrition-for-injury-recovery-and-rehabilitation.pdf) rich in nutrients like protein and potassium. [Learn which foods to eat](https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/the-best-foods-for-injury-recovery/) to heal what injuries. If your body runs out of raw materials for repairs, it will scream at you.
> 
> [Treatment for muscle cramps](http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-a-Cramped-Muscle) often involves [taking minerals](http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Muscle-Cramps-with-Minerals), because a shortage of those is among the more common causes.


	4. Heat and Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve tries ice packs to relieve the muscle cramps. It does not go well.

"Why change it?" Steve murmured as Dr. Banner gently stroked the stuff onto the damaged skin.

"Because it upset Tony," Dr. Banner said quietly. "He never said a word about it -- I think it's subconscious -- but I noticed the changes in his behavior after I used it. Either he avoided me, or he got edgy. So I swapped out the coconut for palm oil. It still works great, it's just gooey instead of creamy."

"Try beeswax," Steve said, his voice turning drowsy. "Maybe start with a cream base."

"So now you're an herbalist too?" Dr. Banner teased.

"Ah, Bucky used to bring home all kinds of gunk for my chest," Steve said. "The camphor ones, now, _those_ were sticky."  
"You know, beeswax might actually work," Dr. Banner said. "I may test that on myself, and if it does, see what you think."

"Have you offered Tony a sample?" Phil said. "He's touchy about his scars. I'm not sure all of that is psychological." Phil remembered how Tony had flinched under his touch in the bath. It might have come from misfiring nerves rather than just nervousness.

"I haven't before; it's not something Tony likes to talk about. Now that you mention it, I will," said Dr. Banner. He poured more oil on his hands and moved higher up Steve's calf.

Steve bit back a pained whimper. Phil reached down to cover Steve's hand with his own, carefully over the back and not the fingers, so that a reflexive clench of that powerful fist wouldn't put Phil at risk. Steve sighed at the touch.

"I'm almost done," Dr. Banner assured him.

"I think it's helping," Steve said. "My skin doesn't itch as much. Oh ... guess I forgot to mention that. The pain kind of covers it up."

"Are the cramps getting any better?" Dr. Banner asked. He used the towel to scrub the excess oil off his hands.

"Maybe a little?" Steve said. 

"We can move on to another technique if you like," Dr. Banner said. "Two classics for treating cramps are heat and cold. Heat relaxes muscles and improves blood flow."

"Yeah, that's what I tried first," Steve said. "I spent about half an hour sitting on the shower bench with the water as hot as I could stand it. That helped a lot, for a while. After I hauled myself out -- uh, sorry, I think I bent one of the grab bars again -- I felt okay, so I came here to watch a movie. Guess I didn't realize how bad it was getting."

"Don't worry about the grab bar," Phil said. "Tony or Bucky can replace it later."

"That could be what caused the conflict here," Bruce said. "In this case, part of the problem is that you're healing too fast for your body to keep up with itself. Heat would probably make that worse. Cold numbs pain and slows metabolism. A couple of ice packs might slow it down enough to quell the cramps."

Steve stirred, his shoulders shifting against Phil's thigh. "You really think it will work?" Steve said. "I mean, I don't like the cold, but I can put up with it if I have to. I definitely don't want to break my leg again. It's too hard to pull the bones back in order when the muscles get all knotted up."

Phil could only imagine the level of horror that lay behind that casual statement. It had probably involved the Howling Commandoes trying to pry Steve back into shape while hiding out in enemy territory. _Poor Steve. Poor everyone,_ Phil thought. _We need to avoid a repetition of that at all costs_.

"It's the next thing down on the list that I can think of, and the odds are favorable," Dr. Banner said. 

"Besides, if it doesn't work or it makes things worse, we can just lift the ice off. It's not like a drug where you're stuck waiting until it wears off," Phil said. "It's got to be better than risking a fracture."

"Yeah, being able to take it off is a good advantage," Steve said firmly. "Let's try it."

Dr. Banner went to the kitchen. They always kept some ice packs in the freezer. He came back with two of them. "Brace yourself," he warned. Then he tucked one between Steve's thighs to cool the blood, and wrapped the other over the injured calf. "Okay?"

Steve sucked in a breath between his teeth. "... fine."

Phil kept his hand over Steve's for comfort. Dr. Banner tracked the damaged muscles with occasional touches. The ice did seem to help. Steve muttered occasionally, but not in the same tone as before. Gradually the spasms weakened and slowed down.

Then Steve shivered under Phil's hand. Phil frowned. _That's not a good sign,_ he thought.

"Steve, are you okay?" Dr. Banner asked. Another shiver rippled through the sturdy body.

"... gotta put 'er in the water."

"Get the ice off him _now,"_ Phil snapped.

"Got it," Dr. Banner said, snatching both packs at the same time. "See if you can get him grounded while I grab a blanket." He scrambled off the couch.

Steve was shaking in earnest now as Phil pulled him up into a sitting position. "Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die ..." Steve said.

_I could watch him 'die' all over again, right in front of me, if I can't snap him out of this flashback,_ Phil realized with horrible clarity. 

"Wake up, Steve. That's not happening now," Phil said. He cupped his hands over Steve's cheeks, hoping that the warm touch would give him an anchor. "Come back to me. We're home, in Avengers Tower. It's safe. Everything will be all right."

"... Phil?" Steve's voice sounded wrecked.

"That's right. I'm here," Phil said.

Steve turned to bury his face in Phil's shoulder. His whole body trembled with the emotional overload. "Home," Steve said. "Safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Beeswax](https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/all-about-beeswax.html) is a standard ingredient for [skin cream and other healing recipes](https://www.rachelssupply.com/bwax.htm). Steve and Bucky went through pretty much everything within their reach trying to keep Steve alive and functional. It gives them an eclectic, out-of-date, but very wide awareness of health care. Some of that still works.
> 
> [Shrapnel injuries](https://www.rediff.com/news/report/how-shrapnel-injuries-are-caused-in-blasts-aiims-doctor-explains/20110916.htm) are notorious for causing [nerve damage](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898760). The same applies to [surgery](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3546123/). Chronic pain tends to [impair thought and personality](https://www.cpcdoctors.com/blog/asheville-pain-doctor-accepting-new-patients). This explains a lot about Tony's erratic behavior.
> 
> [Muscle cramps](https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-cramps) can be treated with heat or cold, but it's vital to [know which to use when](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/should-you-use-ice-or-heat-for-pain-infographic/).
> 
> [Steve's shower](https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/332192180fcf65e1_4-4041/modern-bathroom.jpg) includes multiple fixed and handheld showerheads, grab bars, a built-in bench, and a steam function. For someone with a rough dayjob on top of past damage, these are necessities, not luxuries.
> 
> [Trauma triggers](http://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-a-trigger/) reactivate memories of bad things that happened to someone, [throwing the person into survival mode](https://1in6.org/men/get-information/online-readings/self-regulation-and-addictions/getting-triggered/). [Trauma-informed care](http://stoprelationshipabuse.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ODVN_Trauma-InformedCareBestPracticesAndProtocols.pdf) offers best practices for supporting people with various types of [post-traumatic stress](http://healmyptsd.com/education/ptsd-caregivers-support/10-tips). It is very, very important not to trigger traumatized supervillains! Ansel and Justin both understand this, although their _skill level_ isn't always up to what they're trying to accomplish.
> 
> [Flashbacks](http://www.giftfromwithin.org/html/FAQ-PTSD-Symptom-Flashbacks.html) are common for trauma survivors. They come in [different types](http://www.angelfire.com/vt/rcwn/Pagetwentyfour.html) and can [affect any sense](https://www.ualberta.ca/~uasac/Triggers.htm). Steve's come from war trauma, among other things. There are ways to [manage flashbacks](http://www.pete-walker.com/flashbackManagement.htm) or [help someone through a flashback](https://sometimesmagical.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/supporting-a-loved-one-through-ptsd-or-panic-attacks/).


	5. Warm and Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil and Bruce take care of Steve after the flashback. Bruce has more ideas about how to fix Steve's body and prevent future problems.

"Here, I brought you a blanket," Dr. Banner said, tucking it around both of them. It felt hot, probably straight from the warmer in the common bathroom.

"Is that safe?" Phil asked quietly.

"He needs the heat right now. We don't want him going into shock," Dr. Banner said. "Hopefully the healing mode has slowed down enough that the cramps won't come back."

They held Steve between them, warm and safe. Phil murmured gentle reassurances until the shuddering finally stopped. Inside, he was kicking himself for the foolish mistake that had thrown Steve into a flashback, but he didn't let it show on the outside. Instead Phil recited the date and the time and the address. Dr. Banner described the weather outside. JARVIS added the locations of the other teammates in the tower.

After a while, Steve sat up a little straighter. "I think I'm okay now," he said.

"Thank god," said Dr. Banner with a sigh of relief. "That was pretty rough. I'm sorry that happened."

Steve just shrugged. "Not your fault, really. I've done worse to myself, trying to shower on a bad day."

"But we -- _I_ talked you into it," Phil said. "I am so sorry, Steve. I honestly thought if something went wrong, taking the ice off would fix it. I should have realized the flashback potential."

"I wondered about that, but I _really_ didn't want to risk breaking my own leg again. I've used ice packs before, a few times, and for some reason today it hit me wrong," Steve said. "I'm not mad at you guys, just ... a little shaken." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm glad you were here, though. You pulled me out of it this time. It was scary, but ... waking up with someone right beside me, that part felt good."

Phil hugged him close. "Then I'm glad I could be here for you," he said. It was a hellish way to get a do-over, but if Steve appreciated that side of it, Phil wouldn't argue with him.

It would take longer for his own guilt to fade, though. _I should have thought things through a lot more carefully,_ Phil told himself.

From the look of Dr. Banner, he felt the same way, or possibly worse since it had been his idea in the first place. "We could move on to nutritional support to discourage the cramps from coming back," he said. "How would you feel about a banana smoothie?"

"I don't think I could stand drinking anything cold right now," Steve said, "or even soon." He pulled the blanket a little tighter.  
"How about something hot?" Dr. Banner said.

"Hot, yeah, hot is good," Steve said.

"Okay, then, I'll see what I can do," said Dr. Banner. He headed into the kitchen. Presently the blender whirred.

Steve burrowed against Phil, seeking reassurance in the warm presence of another body. Phil let him snuggle. He stroked a hand through the silky strands of Steve's hair.

"Thanks for pulling me out," Steve said softly.

Phil tucked his chin over Steve's head. "You're welcome," he said. "Any time. _Every_ time."

Dr. Banner came out of the kitchen with two smoothies, one a pale tan and the other a richer purple. He handed the first to Steve and kept the second for himself. "One banana for you, one blueberry for me," he said.

Steve took a cautious sip of his smoothie. Then he broke into a huge grin. "Oh wow, this is like drinking banana cream pie!" he exclaimed. "Here, Phil, you gotta try this."

Phil obliged. The flavor rolled over his tongue, warm and rich, tasting of banana and spices. "That _is_ good."

Steve accepted the smoothie as Phil passed it back. Dr. Banner sat down on the other side of Steve. The extra body contact seemed to help. Gradually Steve settled down more. He set his empty glass on the coffee table.

"How are you feeling now?" Dr. Banner asked.

"Better," Steve said. "Still sore, but my leg isn't twitching anymore."

"Let me check it again." Dr. Banner tugged the fabric out of the way. This time Steve bore the examination with no more than a small flinch.

The gashes had paled from purple to pink. The tough scabs now had white edges, almost ready to slough off. Phil gave a quiet sigh of relief. _I never get tired of seeing that, how fast he heals, the handler mused. It's like watching one of those slow time-lapse movies. If you look right at it the whole time, you can't see anything happening -- but look away even briefly, and the changes jump right out at you_.

Dr. Banner scraped a gentle fingernail over the healthy skin. Pale flakes rose in the wake, already dried out again. "You could use another coat of oil."

"Okay," Steve said easily.

"Based on what I've seen now, I think this kind of problem is going to be easier to prevent than to treat once it develops," Dr. Banner said to Steve as he poured more oil out of the bottle. "First, if you get cut badly in combat, try to get out of the fight so that somebody can patch it --"

"But there's nobody to take my place," Steve protested.

"Hulk can cover the heavy hitting, and Iron Man can coordinate the team if necessary," Phil said. _What we really need is to get Bucky back in the field,_ he thought to himself. _They used to serve together, and Bucky led the Howling Commandos before Steve took over. Neither Hulk nor Tony likes getting stuck in charge by himself_.

"Steve, you'll be out of commission for less time if you treat injuries properly than if you ignore them and let things go wrong," Dr. Banner said sternly. "What would you say if it was someone else ignoring their injuries?"

"Fall back and call for a medic," Steve admitted. "Sorry, sir. I'll be more careful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of the problem is that Christianity describes [traitors going to hell where they get frozen in ice](http://markbeaird.org/wmlib/pdf/book_resources_rbt/betrayal_rejection_revenge_and_forgiveness.pdf), and Steve feels like he betrayed Bucky by not rescuing him before HYDRA could capture him.
> 
> [Hot smoothies](http://www.organicauthority.com/eco-chic-table/transform-cool-summer-smoothies-into-winter-warmers.html) work well in cold weather or when people need heat for comfort. There are hot banana smoothies that taste like [banana bread](http://cleancuisineandmore.com/banana-smoothie/) or [banana cream pie](http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hot-banana-milkshake/). They are good sources of [potassium](http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php) and [magnesium](http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-magnesium.php). [Molasses](https://web.archive.org/web/20150623233942/http://military-fitness.military.com/2011/01/post-workout-super-food-to-gain-more-muscle-mass.html) is another good choice. Here are some other foods good for [gaining muscle mass](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/26-muscle-building-foods) and [healing injuries](https://www.livestrong.com/article/303683-foods-that-help-heal-muscle/). These supplements [help reduce cramps](http://www.livestrong.com/article/257353-nutritional-supplements-for-muscle-healing/).
> 
> Here is Bruce's [Blueberry Smoothie](http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/11759-super-easy-smoothies-juices.html).


	6. These Look Promising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce offers more suggestions to help Steve. Phil makes lunch.

"Okay, then," Dr. Banner said. He smoothed the oil very lightly over the scabs, then more firmly over unbroken skin. "Next thing, deep cuts get checked for precision. If the alignment is off, you'll heal better and faster with that fixed, even if it means we have to reopen the wounds with a scalpel to match up the edges exactly."

"I guess that makes sense," Steve said.

"Third thing: I can mix up some supplement packets for the nutrients most necessary for rebuilding tissue," Dr. Banner said. "Soon as the fight's over, dump one into a bottle of water or fruit juice and drink that. Your body will absorb nutrients better from real food, but that should tide you over until you have a chance to eat something."

Steve brightened. "I like that idea a lot. I'm almost always starving after a fight, and sometimes I want really weird things."

"I'm not surprised you come down with cravings, given your metabolism and how often you get hurt. I can give you a list of helpful foods too," Dr. Banner said. "Last thing: I'll mix up a batch of oil for you to use on damaged skin. Put it on anywhere that gets injured and it should soothe the skin during the healing process so you don't itch or twitch as much. Then you tell me how well it works, and we'll tweak the recipe if needed."

"I can do that," Steve said. He flexed his foot carefully. "Thanks."

"Heat and cold?" Phil prompted.

"That's more complicated," Dr. Banner said. He capped the bottle and tucked it into his pocket. "Based on current examples, Steve's body seems to speed up in response to heat and slow down for cold. He likes the heat, which makes it tempting to use. The cold is a trigger, which makes it a risk, but it's worked in the past. I think that with some very careful practice, we might manage to turn that temperature response into an effective speed control system."

"If the ice doesn't throw him into another flashback," Phil said.

"Maybe if it's not _that_ cold?" Steve said tentatively. "Not ice, not a cold pack, not ice water, but something else could work. If I'm lucky."

"Cool air, perhaps, or a cooling blanket," Dr. Banner said. "Though I'm tempted to say cold is for emergency use only on you."

"Steve, you said that you've used cold packs a few times before, and they didn't cause a problem," Phil said. "Do you have any idea what went wrong today?"

Steve spent a long minute in thought. Then he said, in a very low tone, "I was pinned down. That fella with the machete, he was cutting on me and I couldn't get _away ..."_

"Stacking triggers," Phil guessed. "The cold by itself, on a good day, might not have bothered you; but after a rough mission, it may have been more than you could handle."

"Yeah," Steve said. "Last time I needed an ice pack, it was just for a minor training injury. That healed up in a few minutes, no trouble at all."

"Okay, that makes sense," said Dr. Banner. "We can try milder cold in the future, if you want to, but no grabbing ice out of habit. In fact, no temperature work without a spotter, in case it goes wrong again."

"Yes, sir," Steve said.

"Noted and logged," JARVIS said.

"All right, I think this is settled enough that I can go make lunch," Phil said. He headed into the kitchen, already recalculating recipes in his head. He had planned to make ham and beans, but there wasn't enough time now.

On the other hand, JARVIS kept the pantry very well stocked. When Phil found the cans of great northern beans, he realized that he could make ham and bean soup fairly fast. "JARVIS, do we have any cooked ham? Whole or cubed, not deli sliced?" Phil said.

"Yes, there is cubed ham in the meat drawer of the refrigerator," JARVIS said.

"Perfect," Phil said. He found carrots and celery in the refrigerator too, and an onion in a dark bin under the counter. It only took a few minutes to chop the vegetables and throw them in a pot along with the ham and beans. He added some seasonings and put the lid on, then left it to cook.

Next Phil mixed up a batch of biscuits. He had to work carefully to keep the dough from sticking, but soon he had perfect round circles lined up on a tray. Phil popped the biscuits into the oven and set the timer.

Last he thought about dessert. He couldn't make anything cold, obviously, so there went a large part of the quick desserts. He didn't want to mess around with a lot of fussy ingredients either.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance, Phil, if you'd like to tell me your parameters," JARVIS said.

Phil realized that he'd been standing in front of an open cabinet for several minutes. He shook himself and said, "Nothing cold. Preferably hot. Not too complicated. Fast enough to fix between now and lunchtime. Is there anything left?"

"Yes, many recipes meet your requests," said JARVIS. The Starkpad used for recipes filled with a display.

"Oh, these look promising," Phil said, scrolling through them and flicking a few prospects to the top of the page. "Cookies might be a little too much work, brownies are nice but kind of boring, Nutella sandwiches are delicious but not warm ..."

A recipe for Nutella brownies shouldered its way into the top row, with a little question mark bouncing eagerly in the corner of its frame.

"Perfect," Phil said, tapping the image to open the recipe. It only had four ingredients: Nutella, eggs, flour, and chopped nuts. Quickly he mixed them together and then popped the pan in the oven. "JARVIS, route the lunch timers to my phone, please."

"Routed," JARVIS said.

Phil gave a happy sigh. Cooking made him feel better because he was accomplishing something useful and taking care of people he valued. Smiling, he went back to the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Supplements for [injury](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-supplements-for-sports-injury) or [surgery](https://www.readersdigest.ca/health/healthy-living/6-best-vitamins-and-supplements-take-after-surgery/) can [greatly reduce healing time](https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20040708/supplement-speeds-wound-healing#1).
> 
> A [cooling blanket](https://www.polarproducts.com/polarshop/pc/Cool-Flow-Cooling-Blanket-System-with-9-Quart-Cooler-p112.htm) is one of [many moderate options for lowering temperature](https://sleepgadgets.io/best-bed-cooling-systems-fans-mattress-pads). 
> 
> Enjoy recipes for [Quick Ham and Bean Soup](https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/quick-ham-and-bean-soup/) and [Crusty Dinner Biscuits](https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/crusty-dinner-biscuits/).
> 
> [Nutella Brownies](https://spoonuniversity.com/recipe/the-easy-3-ingredient-brownie-recipe-to-satisfy-any-craving) are delicious. Add some [high-calorie nuts](https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/nuts-seeds-high-in-calories.php) such as [madadamias](https://www.verywellfit.com/macadamia-nut-nutrition-facts-calories-and-health-benefits-4114338) for an extra boost.


	7. You Have a Website?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bruce watch a Bollywood movie together. Bruce has some toys that Steve gets interested in too.

Steve had fallen asleep on the couch. Bruce was watching a Bollywood movie. As soon as Bruce saw Phil, he shuffled over a bit to make room.

"Indian theater?" Phil said as he sat down.

"It's good practice for my Hindi," Bruce said. "Besides, Hulk enjoys this stuff."

"What's this?" a sleepy voice murmured. Bruce glanced down to find Steve peering at the viewscreen. "Wow, that's a lot of people -- and none of them are cutouts."

"This movie is called _Awaara,"_ Bruce explained. "It's a story about star-crossed lovers in India. It was made a little before special effects became popular. Some of the later Bollywood films are full of flashy costumes and quick transitions."

"Are you feeling homesick for India?" Steve asked.

That was a valid concern, Phil realized. Maybe he should try to find out how Bruce felt about the various countries where he had hidden, and offer positive reminders of the ones he had liked.

"Maybe a little," Bruce said. "Mostly I just like to keep up my language practice. Also the, uh, Other Guy likes the colors and the dancing in the later movies. And the emotions, Bollywood is big on melodrama. It helps keep him from bugging me, and I like that."

"It looks kind of interesting, but I'm not sure I can figure out what's happening," Steve said.

"That's okay, I can't either," Phil admitted. "It's still fun to watch."

"I can switch to something else," Bruce offered.

"No," Steve said. "You were watching it first."

"Well ... I could try to explain the plot for you," Bruce offered.

"Yeah, that would be swell," Steve said.

"I'd enjoy hearing that too," Phil agreed.

So they sat and watched the movie together. It was old, and kind of sad, but Bruce did a good job of explaining the cultural bits. Steve seemed to be doing a little better, too. Afterwards, Bruce described the rise of Indian film during the 1930-40s, especially the musicals.

"I didn't realize that Bollywood had gotten so big," Phil said. "It really rivals Hollywood in its own way."

"I like musicals," Steve said, "courtesy of the USO girls."

"USO girls are awesome," Tony agreed as he came into the room and flopped into his chair.

"You might enjoy the social commentary in many of the films, too such as the working-class drama in _Awaara,"_ said Bruce. "People blog about them and write articles and stuff. It's interesting."

"Yeah, I'll look it up. JARVIS can help me find it," Steve said.

"So noted. I have added an introduction to your social reading schedule," JARVIS said.

"Could we maybe ... keep watching these together?" Steve asked.

"Sure," Bruce said. "I'm usually into at least one a week. Catch me any time we're both free." He twiddled with something in his hands.

"That sock maze looks really keen," Steve said.

Bruce handed him the toy. "Betty made it for me. It helps me relax. Here, you can play with it if you want to." Then he took out another one made of felt to use himself.

"Thanks," said Steve, pushing the marble through its channel sewn into the cloth. "Hey, could I have a picture of this for my website?"

 _"You_ have a _website?"_ Tony said, sitting up abruptly.

"Well, yeah ... you gave us all a bunch of server space. JARVIS helped me make it," said Steve.

"That's wonderful, Steve," said Phil. "What is your website about?"

Steve grinned at him, wriggling a little in his seat. "It's all about taking old stuff and doing new things with it. You know, upcycling? So the site is called Capcycle," he said.

Bruce chuckled. "Clever."

"It has pictures and patterns of projects that I've done, or found elsewhere. Some are things I remember from my childhood, like the collage greeting cards, and some are new." Steve flourished the sock maze in his hand. "Then there's a place for other people to post their own projects or patterns."

"Capcycle currently averages over a thousand hits per day, growing briskly," said JARVIS.

"Well done, Steve," said Phil. "It's good to see you integrating your previous interests with current opportunities. JARVIS, thank you for helping."

Phil's phone vibrated in his pocket. Looking at it, he saw that lunch needed attention.

He went back into the kitchen. The biscuits were done, so he took them out and put them in a basket, deftly flipping a dishcloth over them to keep them warm.

Just as he set the basket on the table, the timer for the brownies went off. Phil pulled out the pans, then carefully cut the brownies and arranged them on two plates, one with macadamia nuts and one without. That would maximize access and minimize squabbles.

Phil checked the ham and bean soup. That was almost done, but not quite yet. He gave it a quick stir and put the lid back on. Then he started setting the table.

Tony came in, gave an appreciative sniff, and grabbed one of the brownies. Phil let him get away with it, because Tony's eating was erratic at best, and anything he ate without complaining was one less argument to have. When Tony started stuffing green things into a blender, Phil smiled and dodged around him to retrieve condiments from the refrigerator to go with the biscuits.

The other Avengers began to filter in. Bruce helped set the table. Natasha simply dropped into her chair and began slathering a biscuit with jewel-red Carolina reaper jam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> came up with [the idea](http://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/9715778.html?thread=17858370#cmt17858370) for Steve and [Bollywood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood). _[Awaara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awaara)_ is among the more famous movies.
> 
> Learn how to [make a marble maze with fabric](http://www.blessingsoverflowing.com/fabric-marble-maze/). This works with socks too.
> 
> [Upcycling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upcycling) is a [great way](http://www.upcyclethat.com/) to [make crafts](http://www.upcyclemagazine.com/tag/crafts). [Craftgossip](http://recycledcrafts.craftgossip.com/) and [Instructables](http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/?sort=none&q=upcycle+crafts) have more tutorials. Despite the trendy new name, the practice is at least 50,000 years old. Steve knew it in the Depression as "making do." Since he hates modern throwaway culture with a ferocity second only to HYDRA, this is his way of fighting the trend.
> 
> Natasha likes [Carolina Reaper Jam](https://www.instructables.com/id/Bhut-Jolokia-and-Carolina-Reaper-Jam/). It is very sweet and then it melts your lips off. Kind of like Natasha.


	8. Flushing Toxins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony offers Clint some help with the insect bites. Clint is unenthusiastic. Bucky expresses his feelings about Steve's plane crash.

When Clint finally came down to the common kitchen, he was still off-kilter from all the insect bites. At least he wasn't scratching himself anymore. He didn't look happy, though.

Tony set down a tall glass of what looked like dark green sludge. "Here, drink this," he said. "It tastes like _ass,_ but it does a great job of flushing toxins out of the body."

Bruce appropriated the glass and took a sip. "Yeah, that'll do. Tony, how do you even _have_ this recipe?"

"Old news," Tony said with a shrug.

Phil recalled the palladium incident and his own ... less than laudable behavior. Doubtless he owed Tony another apology for that, and now, Bruce as well since he'd have to clean up after both of them.

"You and I are _so_ having a talk about this later," Bruce said.

Tony looked away. "Whatever. I just thought, you know, Clint looked a little hungover from the bug bites ..."

"Are you sure this crud will work on whatever bit me?" Clint asked, edging the glass away from himself.

"Yeah, it's kind of an all-purpose scrub," Tony said. Then he made a face. "You know how, if you stand too close to a fire ant hill, you wind up with ants in your pants?"

"Everybody who's been to the southwest knows that, Tony," said Clint.

"Well, it turns out if you're Iron Man and you have a bunch of battle damage to the suit, you can't feel the ants crawling up and some of the alerts are compromised. So that's how I know this stuff works on insect venom." Tony moved the glass firmly back in front of Clint. "Chug, don't sip."

Clint gave in and downed the glass. Then he shuddered. "That is _vile_. That is worse than _Nyquil_. I hate you right now."

"And here I'm trying to do you a favor. You'll thank me when you're back to normal by tonight," Tony said.

Bruce chuckled. "Now you know how I feel."

The final timer went off, and Phil moved the ham and bean soup onto the table. "Lunch is served," he announced. "JARVIS, please summon everyone who's not already here."

"Message sent," JARVIS said. "Some other members are ... occupied at the moment."

"Thank you," Phil said as he ladled soup into his bowl. Then he crumbled a biscuit over the top.

Betty scurried in. "Sorry I'm late," she said. "I thought I'd bring a salad. JARVIS told me that things got a little mixed up today." She set the salad bowl on the table and pried the top off. Inside lay mixed greens topped with blueberries, pecans, and some kind of crumbled cheese.

"That looks delicious," Phil said. He took one of the small plates that he'd put out for biscuits and brownies, repurposing it to a salad plate. The crisp leaves made a wonderful contrast to the rich hot soup.

Then they heard the sounds of an argument approaching and the unmistakable meaty smack of someone's hand against someone's head. "OW! What was _that_ for?" Steve yelped.

"That was for you _dying,_ stupid!" Bucky snapped.

"What do you --"

"Did you even _try_ to land the plane?" Bucky said.

Steve sputtered a protest.

"No. Don't even. I can't deal with this shit," Bucky said. "I'm gone _two weeks_ and you take a nosedive in the Arctic."

"Bucky ..." Steve said as his brother towed him into the kitchen by his shirtfront.

"No, we're finding someone to teach your dumb ass how to fly a plane." Bucky shoved a chair between Clint and Natasha, then unceremoniously dumped Steve into it.

"I'm not --" Steve popped out of the chair, only to hit Bucky's metal fist with a resounding _clang_. He dropped back into his seat.

"Stay. Put." Bucky glared at him. Then he turned to Natasha. "I will, of course, pay you for the instruction time."  
"JARVIS has my rates," Natasha said smoothly, though her eyes twinkled.

Clint finally lost his battle for silence and burst into laughter. "He's got you there, Steve," said Clint. "Don't expect Natasha to go easy on you, either. She's a tough grader."

This was true. Phil enjoyed watching her put the new recruits through their paces at SHIELD. But those who qualified for her classes came out of the grueling regimen as devastating pilots. Clint, with his naturally three-dimensional thinking, helped with certain parts of the training.

Phil had no doubt that Bucky had looked up those facts before dumping Steve on them.

They had told Bucky earlier about what had happened to Steve, but it hadn't necessarily stuck -- so much got lost in the Winter Soldier's patchy memory. Phil would bet that today's version made it into permanent storage, though.

"Yeah, yeah," Steve muttered. "JARVIS, put it in my schedule." He rubbed his head with one hand while reaching for the soup with the other.

Crisis concluded.

With that out of the way, everyone turned their attention back to lunch. The soup, despite its revision for last-minute preparation, tasted delicious. The biscuits went well with it. Steve applied himself to a mixing bowl full of it, along with biscuits slathered in apple butter. He skipped the salad, but that was okay. Clint, still affected by yesterday's mishaps, ate with more caution. He did use pepper jelly on his biscuits in attempt to drown out the green stuff that Tony had given him, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember Tony choking down that green sludge in Iron Man 2? It turns out that there are legitimate green smoothie ingredients for detoxification of harmful things, up to and including heavy metals. [This recipe](https://recipes.nutstop.com/basic-green-smoothie-chlorella-spirulina-recipe/) includes [chlorella and spirulina](https://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com/bid/59541/Chlorella-vs-Alga-Spirulina-which-algae-is-best) along with [dark leafy greens](https://www.ora.organic/blogs/news/how-to-detox-your-body-green-leafy-vegetables). It'll help -- but nothing is going to kill that flavor. :P
> 
> Enjoy a recipe for [Blueberry Toasted Pecan Mixed Greens Salad](http://www.chefnextdoorblog.com/2016/04/blueberry-toasted-pecan-mixed-greens-salad.html).
> 
> [Bucky's tantrum comes in part from this comic](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/80/7e/21807e14d56b897c5e7abbb6f029508b.png), which a fan recommended back when we were first discussion how Bucky would respond to finding out what happened to Steve. The cyclic memory issues mean that Bucky has probably heard the story before, but can't always remember or process all of it at once, so he keeps looping through different bits over time -- hence the tone of exasperation rather than grief or panic.


	9. A Couple of Ideas for Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team talks over lunch. This gives Phil some inspiration for game night later.

"So, I think I found a new supplier for rare earths," Betty said brightly. "JARVIS is looking into it."

"That'd be great," Tony said. "Some of the science supply shops, uh, don't really want to deal with me anymore."

Phil wasn't sure he wanted to know _why_ they wouldn't sell to a billionaire. Tony's behavior during the palladium period had ranged from embarrassing to nerve-wracking.

"Leave them to me," Betty said. "I spent a couple of semesters in graduate school doing all the ordering for the lab as part of my work-trade. I know how to deal with suppliers, I know the paperwork, and I can charm people."

"Go for it," Tony said. "JARVIS, make sure Dr. Ross has access to the Purchasing account for lab supplies."

"Access granted," JARVIS said.

Phil wondered if he could sneak in a few of his favorite sabotage supplies. SHIELD had gotten ... less reliable of late.

"Clint and I completed our bingo card together," Bucky said.

Phil checked his smartphone for results. They had filled in every square, color-coded for things both of them could remember, things only one could remember, and things neither could remember that they had discussed anyway.

"Congratulations. You boys worked hard on that," Phil said. "I'm adding some new teamwork exercises to the Avengers server, and I have a couple of ideas for game night."

"I don't know how much I'll be up for," Clint said. "I'm still pretty wiped."

Steve mopped the inside of his bowl with the last piece of biscuit. "Thanks for making lunch, Phil," he said. "I'm gonna hit the gym for a bit."

Dr. Banner cleared his throat sharply.

"... and follow the physical therapy routine that Dr. Banner set up for me?" Steve said, ducking his head.

"That's better," Dr. Banner said. "You'll be sticking to the electronic equipment today, so that JARVIS can spot you."

"I have a new Appalacian Trail video for the treadmill," JARVIS coaxed.

"Okay," Steve said meekly.

"Everyone take a couple of hours after lunch to walk it off," Phil said. "Wrap up anything that needs your attention, and then meet back here for game night."

Soft cheers rippled around the table. Bucky passed a brownie to Steve, who hadn't taken one for himself. Clint was licking chocolate crumbs off his fingers.

Then they split up to put the dishes on the counter and clean up. Bucky and Steve started washing and drying while Clint was still stacking things for them.

Bruce drifted up behind them. "You know, guys, if something goes wrong you can call me," he murmured.

Bucky sighed. "I thought about it, but Steve just wanted to cuddle. We knew he wasn't feeling well, but we didn't know what else to _do_ about it."

"That's my job," Bruce said. "All I need to know going in is that your body is bothering you. I'll do my best to figure out what's wrong and what might help."

"Okay then, we'll keep it in mind, or try to," Bucky said. Then he shook his head. "JARVIS, set a reminder. You probably have a better idea of when Bruce could help than we do."

"Reminder set for user Bucky Barnes," said JARVIS. "Set reminder for user Steve Rogers?"

"Yes, please," Steve said, and JARVIS confirmed that one too.

"Thank you," Bruce said.

"I'm sorry I forgot," Steve said. "There's just ... so much to remember."

"Yeah, modern everything is confusing," Bucky said.

"You boys are doing fine," Phil said, patting Bucky on the shoulder. "Keep up the good work."

Then Phil headed to his office. He wanted to check up on SHIELD and also arrange some extra supplies for game night.

Scrolling through emails, he discovered that SHIELD's top scientists had started an intellectual debate that quickly devolved into a flame war. FitzSimmons advocated a chemical approach targeting an unusual protein found in the bugs. Other teams agreed on targeting the protein but wanted to use hijacked insects, microbes, or nanobots. Someone had even uploaded a preliminary sketch of a predatory wasp that regarded the bugs as yummy and needed their protein to survive. Someone else had then drawn a bird eating the wasp.

Phil rubbed both hands over his face. He checked the relevant budget; it wasn't robust, but it would suffice. Then he sent an email to all the scientists: _Due to the diversity of solutions, I suggest that you each focus on developing your own project instead of criticizing your coworkers. To this end, I have posted a prize for the most effective, least damaging solution: 5 pounds of single-origin coffee beans_.

He might as well have poured the coffee directly on the flames, they went out so fast.

Next Phil turned his attention to game night. He had some ideas, and poked around in his notes, but nothing seemed quite right.

"May I be of assistance?" JARVIS asked.

"Yes, please," Phil said, opening a StarkSearch page. "Clint and Steve both feel under the weather. They might not be up to the usual antics for game night. I'm looking for something they would find comforting."

Images fluttered across the page, then settled into a grid offering such options as pillows, blankets, and bathrobes. Phil browsed around for a while. He didn't really like any of the bathrobes. The blankets seemed promising, but Clint already had one he adored. "The pillows are nice, but these are all so small," Phil said. 

Fresh pictures shuffled into place. "I have selections of body pillows, floor cushions, and pillow beds," said JARVIS.

"Oh, pillow beds!" Phil said happily. "I've seen those in Japan." He quickly found one for Clint, a blue-and-white replica of Stitch. Clint loved that movie. "Does anyone in New York have this model? It's no use if it needs to be shipped in."

"I have suggested only products available for immediate delivery from local suppliers," JARVIS assured him.

"Excellent. We'll take this one," Phil said. He looked through the other images, then frowned. "None of these seem big enough for Steve. That's hardly fair."

JARVIS riffled the images again, sorting them by size. "The top two rows show pillow beds similar to a full-size mattress."

There wasn't anything obviously connected to Steve's interests at first. Then Phil spotted Totoro. "What do you think of this one?" he said. "I know Steve and Bruce were watching anime for a while, though now they've gone into Bollywood. I think they liked _My Neighbor Totoro ..."_

"They did indeed. Gaze tracking and facial mapping indicated high valence for that movie," JARVIS said. "I believe Steve would enjoy that pillow bed."

"Thank you," Phil said. "Please set up the order."

"Done," JARVIS said. "Both should arrive within the hour."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The Appalachian Trail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Trail) runs through much of New England. [Videos of it](http://appalachiantrailvideo.com/) are among the most popular for treadmills. Modern treadmills often integrate [with videos](https://www.verywellfit.com/top-treadmill-workout-videos-3436632). Starktech is more articulated than the standard flat treadmills which only tilt; roller balls underneath the tread band can create a somewhat more textured surface to emulate rocks or roots.
> 
> suggested [some possible solutions for the bug problem](https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/12248415.html?thread=39696223#cmt39696223).
> 
>  _[Lilo& Stitch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilo_%26_Stitch)_ is a Disney movie about a pesky but lovable alien. [Clint's pillow bed is based on Stitch](https://cdn1.thehunt.com/app/public/system/note_images/10410140/note_view/0e354f50206388f40d68f52e3eb555fb.jpeg).
> 
> [ _My Neighbor Totoro_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Neighbor_Totoro) is an anime move from Studio Ghibli about nature spirits. [Steve's pillow bed is based on Totoro](https://www.definitelycoolstuffs.com/uploads/products/totoro-sleeping-bag.jpg).
> 
> [Valence](http://www.affectiva.com/blog/how-to-emotion-enable-your-app/) (not violence!) is an overall measure of how positive or negative an experience is. Thus "[ambivalent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valence_\(psychology\))" doesn't just mean "mixed feelings" or "difficulty deciding." It means, specifically, having _dual valence:_ a combination of positive and negative feelings about something.
> 
> [Computers read faces](http://developer.affectiva.com/metrics/#emotions) by looking for things like physical appearance (gender, ethnicity, age, accessories such as glasses), [gaze tracking](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0138198), emotion metrics, composite metrics measuring the emotional experience, and facial expression metrics. This typically begins with [the seven basic emotions](http://www.humintell.com/2010/06/the-seven-basic-emotions-do-you-know-them/). Dots and lines [superimposed over the face](http://mobihealthnews.com/sites/default/files/Affectiva.jpg) help a computer to measure important information to create results.
> 
> [Artificial intelligence needs emotional capacity](http://blog.affectiva.com/5-reasons-why-artificial-intelligence-needs-emotion) in order to interact with humans. [Teaching a machine to recognize emotions](http://www.affectiva.com/blog/how-to-teach-a-machine-to-recognize-emotions-part-1/) is based on [algorithms and examples](http://www.affectiva.com/blog/how-to-teach-a-machine-to-recognize-emotions-part-2/). Once an AI can identify feelings, it can [use that information to select an appropriate response](http://www.affectiva.com/blog/how-to-emotion-enable-your-app/). Emotions may provide [feedback, control](http://www.affectiva.com/blog/emotions-as-feedback-versus-control/), or other influences. [Augmented reality](http://www.affectiva.com/blog/the-promise-of-emotion-enabled-augmented-reality-ar/) could be used to compensate for people with low ability to identify emotions.


	10. I Don't Feel Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Game night begins. Clint and Stevie still feel under the weather, but there are quiet activities available.

Phil puttered around his office for a while, gathering up other things for game night. He wanted to have some quieter games available this time, since everyone was tired from the recent mission. He looked through his collection and made a few choices. He also put in an order for snacks later.

Then he went to the common room. Nobody else was there at the moment. That gave Phil some time to set things up. JARVIS informed him when the pillow beds arrived. Phil collected those from the service hallway, opened the packages, and set up the big soft cushions.

It was only a little while later when Clint came in. He had wrapped himself so completely in the quilt that his pajamas only showed at the cuff where he held the quilt closed. A riot of red, white, and blue jumbled around his body. Phil could just make out stars and stripes and other patterns. It wasn't quite a crazy quilt, but it barely held a semblance of order. Phil's mother had made it for Clint long ago, when Clint was a wild young thing that Phil almost despaired of saving. The quilt had helped. 

Now, with Clint older and wiser and stronger, he rarely wore the quilt as he had in those early days -- except when he felt bad. Natasha had told Phil that Clint couldn't even sleep without it after the Battle of New York, when they all thought that Phil was dead. Since they had moved into Avengers Tower together, though, Phil hadn't seen Clint wearing it more than a few times.

"Uncle Phil, I don't feel good," Clint whined, shuffling closer.

"Headache? Tummyache?" asked Uncle Phil. He brushed a hand over Clint's forehead. "You don't feel feverish."

Clint shook his head. "Tired. Crummy."

"If you're tired, come and lie down," said Uncle Phil. "Look at what I got for you." 

The pillow bed made Clint smile. "It's Stitch!"

"So it is," said Uncle Phil. He patted the cushion invitingly.

Clint flopped down and wriggled to make a little nest for himself. "Thanks, Uncle Phil," he said softly.

Natka showed up not long after Clint did. She took one look at him and settled on the couch, leaving him his space.

Then Bucky came in carrying Stevie. It was very obviously Stevie and not Steve from the way he was clinging to his brother.

"What happened?" asked Uncle Phil.

"He wore himself out," Bucky explained.

"Okay," said Uncle Phil. "Put him down here." He pointed out the new Totoro bed.

"Oh, wow," said Stevie as Bucky lowered him to the cushion. "It's so big!"

It wasn't _that_ much bigger than Stevie, but at least he fit on it. Bucky stretched out beside him, and Stevie curled around him.

Tony, Bruce, and Betty all arrived together. Tony took in Clint and Stevie on their pillow beds and said, "Good thing I brought this stuff." He put a big case on the coffee table and popped it open. One side held an assortment of blank paper, a batch of coloring pages from South America, and another batch of insectivores. The other side held crayons.

Stevie promptly came over to look at the crayons. "The names are all wrong," he said, frowning.

"No, they're right," Bruce said. "These are real colors."

"Ph--pheo--" Stevie stuttered.

"Pheomelanin," Bruce said. "It's what makes skin pink, so it's pink. See, this is lithium flame, it's more red."

"Huh," Stevie said. "Uncle Phil, I wanna lie back down. Can I color on the floor?"

"You may put pages on the floor and color or draw on the paper," said Uncle Phil. "Don't color on the floor itself, please."

"Okay," said Stevie. He scooped up the supplies and went back to his pillow bed. "Hey, Clint, you wanna color with me?"

Clint rolled over to look at the offerings. "Insectivores," he said firmly. 

Stevie passed him a stack of pages with hedgehogs, bats, and anteaters. Then he positioned the crayons between them.

Uncle Phil watched them coloring. "Thank you for sharing your crayons, Tony, that was very thoughtful," he said.

"Bruce thought it up," Tony said. "I just made the stuff."

"It was still nice to do," said Uncle Phil. "Shall we play some games while Clint and Stevie color?"

"Sure," Betty said.

"Okay, the first game is called Broken Email," said Uncle Phil. "Everyone who's playing, please line up." 

Tony, Bruce, Betty, Natka, and Bucky all formed a row.

"I'm going to show a picture to one person, who will draw it on the next person's back, and so on down the line," said Uncle Phil. "Concentrate and try to send accurate messages through your teammates."

Tony was already giggling, so Uncle Phil started off by giving him a picture of a star. Tony had no trouble tracing that on Bruce. By the time it got to Bucky, it had six points instead of five, but it was still recognizably a star. 

"Good job," said Uncle Phil. "Do you want to play again?"

"Yeah," said Bucky. 

"All right, turn around the other way and we'll do this in reverse order," said Uncle Phil. He showed Bucky a smiley face. Bucky obligingly drew it on Natka's back. She turned the mouth from smiling to straight, though, and it came out the far end of the line as a peace symbol.

"Whoops," Bruce muttered. "That's probably my fault."

"You didn't make the first mistake, and that's all I'll say on the matter," Uncle Phil replied.

"I guess," Bruce said. "Can I go first this time?"

"Sure," said Uncle Phil, and gave him a heart shape. That one actually made it through the line intact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clint has an [abstract stars and stripes quilt](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/62/09/22/6209223004e21de53949de7d3e9e91ac.jpg) from Phil's mother.
> 
> Tony and Bruce made [crayons labeled with a chemical for each color](http://imgur.com/gallery/my7T704).
> 
> Enjoy some [South American coloring pages](https://coloringhome.com/south-america-coloring-page).
> 
> Phil offers some [new teamwork exercises](https://www.teampedia.net/wiki/Main_Page) such as [Broken Email](https://www.teampedia.net/wiki/Broken_Email).


	11. A Pile of Giggles and Dress-Up Clothes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of the littles play a dress-up game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to the Poetry Fishbowl on Tuesday, February 4, I may not be able to keep up with daily posting this week, but I'll get the story posted as soon as I can. It is finished. Meanwhile, enjoy [the fishbowl](https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/tag/fishbowl) in my Dreamwidth blog!

They played a few more rounds. Each time they shuffled the line, so that everyone got a chance to go first and last. The team performed better than most SHIELD groups in the initial session.

When everyone had gotten to try the beginning, middle, and end of the line for Broken Email, then Uncle Phil introduced a new game. "We're going to play What's Different?" he said as he opened a big box of dress-up materials. "Everyone grab some stuff and deck yourself out."

The littles all dove into the box. There were ties and scarves, sunglasses and costume jewelry, shoes and boots. There was a whole stack of hats. Feather boas, velvet tops, netted skirts, and tiaras filled out the princess gear. Halloween costumes, capes, and masks made a colorful pile.

Soon everyone was dressed up. Bruce wore a giant fuzzy sweater, a polka-dot bow tie, clown glasses, and a sun hat. Tony had on a sequined vest, a silk lei, a sarong, and high heels that weren't even wobbling under him. Nakta wore flip-flops, another lei, and a kerchief over her hair as she pretended to smoke a pipe. Bucky had turned himself into a pirate with an eye patch, a kerchief, a rubber sword, and a stuffed parrot. Betty was a princess with a feather boa, fluffy skirts, a tiara, and space rifle.

"Now pair up and take a good look at your partner. Since there are five players, we'll need to take turns," said Uncle Phil. The first pairs were Bucky and Natka, Bruce and Betty, so Tony stepped over beside Uncle Phil. "Everyone close your eyes. You're going to change four things about your appearance. You have one minute. Begin."

It was a mad scramble, made all the more hilarious by doing it blind.

"Time," said Uncle Phil. "Open your eyes and identify your partner's changes."

Bucky and Natka had no trouble, of course. Betty did all right, just slower. Bruce stumbled over the fact that Betty had swapped her pink tiara for a white one.

"Well played. Bruce, you're out. Tony, take his place," said Uncle Phil. "We'll play another round. Begin."

Now that they had noticed the colors, more players took advantage of the fact that many items had two or three of the same thing in different colors. Tony scored a point off Betty by simply undoing one button of his sequined vest.

"This is too slow," Bucky announced. "You're giving us too much time. Swapping disguises has to go _fast."_

"Yeah, he's right!" Natka said, bouncing on her toes. "We should make it a race."

So then Uncle Phil handed the counting over to JARVIS. He gave them ten seconds less per round while insisting they complete four changes. It turned out that Bucky could go from pirate to businessman, and Natka from tourist to cowgirl, at breathtaking speed. They kept going faster and faster, until it all fell apart in a pile of giggles and dress-up clothes.

The littles were flushed and panting as they peeled off all the frills and packed everything back into the box.

While they were packing, Uncle Phil took the opportunity to check on Stevie and Clint. They had completed a number of coloring pages, some in Stevie's artistic hand and others in Clint's much more prosaic touch. Over a dozen scattered around the two cushions.

They were now playing with some sort of egg-shaped toy that had come in a box lot from an auction. Uncle Phil had played with those, years ago, but he couldn't remember the name.

"Those look cute," he said.

Clint grinned up at him, then tapped an egg that looked like a pirate. It fell onto its side, then popped right back up again. "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!"

"Ah, that was the name. I was trying to remember," said Uncle Phil.

Stevie was playing with the taller of the two islands, hopping a weeble up a sandy staircase designed to hold its round base. On the far side of the island was a cave that the rowboat could sneak into. Clint had the lower island with more palm trees and a hut. Seashells decorated the sand, and a line of tiny footprints, incongruous given that the weebles had no feet. Uncle Phil traced the footprints with a fingertip, enjoying the tactile sensation.

Between the boys lay a pirate ship, complete with treasure chest. They didn't seem too interested in adventure right now, though. Indeed as Uncle Phil watched, Clint settled his weeble into a hammock, then stretched out on the bed.

"Think I'll just lie here for a while," Clint said.

"That's perfectly fine," said Uncle Phil. "It's game night, so there's no pressing schedule."

Of course, that was when Tony tugged on Uncle Phil's bathrobe and said, "I'm bored."

That was _never_ a good thing.

"Then let's find something to do," said Uncle Phil. "Shall we play a game?"

"I suggest Robot Turtles," said JARVIS. "That is a good quiet game."

Uncle Phil frowned. "It only goes up to four players, though," he said. Then he realized that Natka had drifted over to investigate the weebles, quickly drawn into Stevie's play. That left Tony, Bruce, Betty, and Bucky for a board game. "All right, we can give it a try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playing dress-up offers [many benefits](https://blog.bellalunatoys.com/2016/10-benefits-of-dress-up-play-for-children.html). You can play [all kinds of different games](http://www.bestpartygames.co.uk/categories/dressing-up-clothes) when you have a [good collection of dress-up clothes](https://redtri.com/diy-dress-up-play-checklist/).
> 
> Weebles are egg-shaped toys with a weight at the bottom, hence the tagline, "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down." Today Clint is playing with the [Treasure Island set](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5d/1b/4a/5d1b4af0741975f11d44e176d775e81e.jpg).


	12. Robot Turtles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uncle Phil and JARVIS introduce the littles to the game Robot Turtles.

Uncle Phil had bought Robot Turtles not long ago, while searching for game night activities that tied into different interests. He figured that Tony and Bucky would both enjoy the hints of robotics and programming. Besides, anything that encouraged Bucky to take a more active role was a good idea. Now to see if they liked the little twist that Uncle Phil had added after buying the original game ...

First, Uncle Phil laid out the square board with its marshy landscape. "Many turtles like to live near water," he said as he placed a Robot Turtle in each corner. "So this board represents their home. It has squares to mark the spaces as you play. Everyone pick a Robot Turtle and sit on that side of the board."

"Red!" said Tony at same time Bruce said "Green!" Bucky went for blue, and Betty for pink. They shuffled around to sit beside their turtles.

"These are your Code Cards," said Uncle Phil. He gave each player the deck that matched their turtle. "They let you command your turtle to Turn Right, Turn Left, or Step Forward. Look at your turtle, and then look at your Code Cards. See the little flowers? The purple flower is right, and Turn Right has a purple stripe at the bottom. The yellow flower is left, and Turn Left has a yellow stripe. The blue flower is forward, and Step Forward has a blue stripe. You also have a Bug Tile that lets you undo a move."

"Cooool," Tony said, leaning over his turtle.

"These are the jewels," said Uncle Phil. He put all four in the center of the board. "The goal of the game is to get your Robot Turtle to the matching colored Jewel. When you land on the matching Jewel you can pick it up. Everyone who gets their Jewel wins!"

"Turtles don't eat rocks," Bruce protested.

"That's true," said Uncle Phil. "This is a very silly game, though, so we're going to _pretend_ that your turtles want the Jewels."

"Okay ..." Bruce said dubiously, hooking a finger in his mouth. "But the flowers make more sense."

"Over to you, Turtle Mover," said Uncle Phil.

"You are the Turtle Master," said JARVIS. "On your turn, you will decide which way you want your Turtle to turn or move. Select one of your Code Cards and place it in front of you but do not move your Turtle."

Tony squealed, loud enough to wake Clint who had dozed off.

"Indoor voices, please," Uncle Phil reminded Tony.

"Sorry," Tony whispered.

Clint snuffled, then rolled over and went back to sleep.

"I am the Turtle Mover. Your cards tell me how to move your Turtle. Only I will touch the board to move the Turtles," said JARVIS.

"Can he really do that?" Betty asked.

"Wait and see," said Uncle Phil.

"If you change your mind during your turn and want to try a different card, just say 'Bug!' and tap your Bug Tile," said JARVIS. A laser pointer activated, pointing to Tony's Bug Tile. "Take your last card back and I will undo your move so you can try something new."

"Neato!" Bruce said, wriggling in place.

"As the Turtle Mover, I _must_ make funny turtle noises," JARVIS said. "This is Beep." He pointed to Bucky's blue turtle. "Beep goes _beep-boop-beep-boop."_

The sound effect startled Bucky into a laugh. "That's really keen."

"This is Pi," said JARVIS, pointing to Tony's red turtle. "Pi goes _ping-pong-ping-pong."_

"What's mine?" Bruce said.

"You have Pangle," said JARVIS, pointing to the green turtle. "Pangle goes _jingle-jangle."_

"That leaves my turtle," said Betty. "One, two, three, four."

"Yours is Dot," said JARVIS. "Dot goes _doot-dot-doot-dot."_

"Got it," Betty said, smiling.

"On your next turn you will place a new card in a line right next to the first card you placed," said JARVIS. "Then you play card by card until you reach your Jewel."

Tony went first. "Step Forward," he said, playing the proper card.

And the Robot Turtle came to life, marching into the next square with a clear _ping-pong-ping-pong_.

Tony flailed his hands in glee, remembering not to clap or squeal.

Bruce went next, making the same move. _Jingle-jangle_ went his turtle.

The game progressed quickly, because the beginning board had no obstacles. It gave the players a clear path to the jewels so that they could learn the game mechanics. They didn't take long to win.

JARVIS let them play a few rounds, experimenting with different paths. They discovered that straight lines were more efficient than zig-zags to mimic diagonals, since turning was a move of its own and the Robot Turtles could not actually travel in a diagonal line.

Once everyone had gotten the hang of it, JARVIS said, "Would you like to unlock a new element of the game?"

The littles nodded eagerly. "Yes, please," said Betty.

"Uncle Phil, please set up the first layout for Ice Walls," said JARVIS.

Picking up the relevant obstacle tiles, Uncle Phil laid them out. He put an Ice Wall in front of each turtle, a few more around the edges of the board, and four at the corners of the jewel cluster in the center.

It was Bruce's turn to go first, and he tried to go through the wall.

Pangle marched in place instead of moving, while JARVIS buzzed an error tone. "Robot Turtles cannot go through Ice Walls," JARVIS explained.

Bruce giggled. "Bug!" he said, tapping his Bug Tile. He withdrew Step Forward and replaced it with Turn Right.  
 _Jingle-jangle,_ went JARVIS, and Pangle turned to the right.

With the new obstacle in mind, the other players quickly caught on and maneuvered their turtles around the Ice Walls. They all tried walking into a wall at least once, through, just because they liked the noises and it was funny to see the little robots going nowhere.

When they all had their jewels, Uncle Phil laid out a new pattern that was more challenging. They played a few more round that way, each requiring more ingenuity to solve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Robot Turtles](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/147370/robot-turtles) is a great game for introducing the basic concepts of computer code to young or inexperienced users. Watch [the original Kickstarter video](https://boardgamegeek.com/video/38019/robot-turtles/robot-turtles-original-kickstarter-video) to see how it works.
> 
> [Turtles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle) tend to [live in wet environments](https://www.thewildlifemuseum.org/exhibits/reptiles-scaly-not-slimy/turtles-terrapins-tortoise/). They [eat many things](https://www.livescience.com/45539-what-do-turtles-eat.html), including flowers, but not rocks.
> 
> [Computer programming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_programming) is a valuable skill. There are tips for teaching [younger kids](https://preschoolsteam.com/coding-games-for-kids/) and [older kids](https://codakid.com/a-beginners-guide-to-teaching-kids-coding-even-when-you-dont-know-how-to-code/). These [resources can help](https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/how-to-teach-kids-code).


	13. Fondue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The littles finish their game of Robot Turtles and enjoy some snacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ends "Coming in from the Cold: Saturday: Revisiting the Past." I hop you've enjoyed the story.
> 
> A note on feedback: While it's not necessary to comment on every post I make, remember that I don't know who reads/likes things if nobody says anything. Particularly on long stories, I've discovered that I get antsy if there's nothing but crickets chirping for several posts. So it helps to give me feedback at least once, even if it's just "I like this" or "This one doesn't grab me." First and last episodes are ideal if you rarely feel inspired to comment in the middle.
> 
> I also have a list of [favorite photogenic scenes](https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/9313791.html) from the whole series for fanartists to consider, partly compiled from audience requests.

"Shall we unlock the Lasers now?" JARVIS offered.

"Yes!" the players chorused.

Uncle Phil handed out the Laser Cards. Then he set up the board to introduce them. Now the Ice Walls formed a ring around the Jewels.

"A Laser can melt one single Ice Wall that is in front of your Robot Turtle," JARVIS explained. "Betty, it is your turn to begin."

Betty played Step Forward. Dot went _doot-dot-doot-dot_.

Bucky copied her move. He'd been doing that a lot. Beep went _beep-boop-beep-boop_.

The other players went in turn. The path to the center was simple, except for needing to melt an Ice Wall to get through to the Jewels. Dot reached it first, and JARVIS produced a startlingly realistic _zoop-tsss_ from a recent mission that had involved laser weapons.

Uncle Phil wondered if it was too much, but then everyone giggled. It was just a game, a silly one with turtles and goofy noises.

A few moves later, Dot made it to her Jewel. Everyone cheered softly.

Then Bucky's tummy gurgled. "Sorry," he said. "I guess my lunch is wearing off."

Fortunately Uncle Phil had anticipated this. "JARVIS, send in the snacks, please," he said.

"Snacks will arrive within five minutes," JARVIS replied.

"Okay, kids, help me put away the game," said Uncle Phil. The players carefully collected the cards and handed over their turtles. Bruce was petting his. It made Uncle Phil smile. "Did you enjoy the game?"

"Uh huh," said Bruce.

"I'd like to play again," said Bucky.

"Does it get harder?" Tony wondered.

"It does have more unlockable features," Uncle Phil said. "Also, because each turtle has its own Jewel, there can be harder and easier challenges on the same board."

"We're gonna need more Ice Walls for that," Tony said.

Uncle Phil ruffled his hair. "Wait and see."

"I'm gonna go get Stevie," said Bucky. He went over to the Totoro bed, where Stevie was lazily tracing weebles on a blank page, making them look like each of the Avengers. "C'mon, runt, we're having snacks." Stevie readily moved to the couch.

Uncle Phil went to get Clint, gently shaking him awake. "Snacks are on their way."

Natka pulled Clint to his feet and coaxed him to the coffee table. "Are you feeling better?" she asked. "You look a little better."

"Yeah, the nap really helped," Clint said as he sat down.

By then, Uncle Phil's phone was vibrating a summons, so he went to the service corridor and brought in the food cart. Three little hotpots sat on it, cheerfully lit with artificial candles that flickered convincingly. The actual heat was provided by elements concealed within the pots themselves.

Also on the cart were two packages that Uncle Phil didn't recognize, addressed to Bucky. "Mail call?" he said, holding them up.

"Oh good, I was hoping these would arrive during game night, I put a rush on them," Bucky said with a grin. "Here, guys, these are for you." He handed one to Stevie and one to Clint.

Stevie got his open first, and a weeble T-shirt tumbled out, bright red with blue. "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!" he said, laughing. "Thanks, Buck."

"Because you are THE original weeble," Bucky said.

"Well, you're not wrong," Tony said.

Clint ripped into his and pulled out a lavender T-shirt. It had the same caption, but where Stevie's had the old egg-shaped weebles, Clint's weeble had an actual head. "Aw, she's so cute! Thank you."

"You're welcome. I saw you two playing with those things and couldn't resist," Bucky said. "JARVIS helped me with the order."

Technically, the littles weren't supposed to buy things during game night, but no way would Uncle Phil scold Bucky for taking care of Stevie. Or Clint.

Instead he set the food on the table and changed the subject. "This one is cheddar cheese, this one is seafood, and this one is caramel," he said.

Next he turned to the platters of accompaniments. A whole loaf of French bread had been sliced into half-rounds. Fish sticks, chicken nuggets, and cocktail weenies piled together on a tray. Raw carrots, celery, and other vegetables filled one platter. Another held sliced apples, bananas, strawberries, and grapes. The last offered marshmallows, vanilla wafers, chocolate biscotti, brownie bites, and cheesecake cubes.

Stevie stared at the steaming bounty. "I thought fondue was just bread and cheese."

"Boring," Tony declared. "Daddy wouldn't eat anything but bread in his. I like mine with sausages." With that he grabbed a handful off the tray.

"Wipe your hand, please," said Uncle Phil. He produced a wet wipe and cleaned his squirming charge. "We have fondue forks for a reason."

"Here, I'll help you," said Bucky. He stuck a sausage on the red-tipped fork. "We're a bit spoiled for choice. You want cheese or shrimp?"

"Cheese first," Tony said.

Bucky dipped the sausage and handed it over, along with a plate. "Eat up. Use the regular fork -- don't put the fondue fork in your mouth, it gets too hot."

Meanwhile Stevie was using slices of bread to scoop up the seafood fondue. "S'really good," he mumbled. It must be, if he was talking with his mouth full. He was usually quite conscious of manners.

Uncle Phil smiled and swished a piece of broccoli through the cheddar. It tasted delicious, hot cheese contrasting with chilled vegetable. Clint and Natka were playfully squabbling over the caramel, but didn't look likely to tip anything over. Uncle Phil let them have their fun.

Despite the rough beginning, this had turned into a good day after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Fondue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fondue) can be made with [many things](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78107/12-surprisingly-delicious-items-dip-fondue). [ Cheese fondue](https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipes/156/meal-recipes/appetizers-snacks/cheese-appetizers/cheese-fondue) is probably the most popular, like this [Garlic-Spinach Cheddar](https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/121844/garlic-spinach-cheddar-fondue) version. [Other recipes](https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/fondue-recipes-you-need-to-try) include [Blackened Shrimp and Scallop](https://mommypotamus.com/blackened-shrimp-and-scallop-fondue/) and [3-Ingredient Caramel](https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/3-ingredient-caramel-fondue-slow-cooker-option). (There are also non-alcoholic recipes for [cheese](https://www.melskitchencafe.com/classic-fondue-recipe/), [shrimp](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12858/shrimp-fondue/), and other things but they are trickier to make.) You need a [set of fondue equipment](https://www.bestfondue.com/fondue-equipment.html) to [do this right](https://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--684/the-basics-of-fondue.asp). Enjoy a [fondue party guide](https://tipnut.com/fondue-guide/). 
> 
> See [Steve's weeble T-shirt](https://d2h1pu99sxkfvn.cloudfront.net/b0/12076168/480738205_khArGUcMzl/P7.jpg) and [Clint's weeble T-shirt](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_L5e9O1OVc8/W4AFUvVgMaI/AAAAAAAAPHo/KbYtxqRdTOUwYudvR6APwF6B-hiJH43CQCLcBGAs/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/weebles.jpeg).

**Author's Note:**

> Clint and Natasha have a [loft hammock](http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/af/8f/38/af8f38edc91894426e73d63451cdcd9f.jpg) in their apartment. Rather than hanging from ropes, the net attaches to the walls of the loft and serves as its floor.
> 
> Read about [red-tailed hawks](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk) and [listen to their sounds](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/sounds).
> 
> Overconsumption of alcohol, or other toxins, [can cause kidney pain](https://www.healthline.com/health/kidney-pain-alcohol).


End file.
